golf 3 gti idling issue

Post Reply
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

so im planning on buying a 96 golf 3 gti

im getting it at a good price and the body is absolutely clean theres just a few things that concern me

from what i can gather the 96 mk3 gti's came with the AFW motor and this one has a 2E so im thinking perhaps engine was changed(mileage shows 115k, dont know how accurate that is)should i be worried about this?

also the car idles erraticly goes from 900rpm to 1400rpm and goes steady for a while then jumps again.also its got a jerk in low revs or if you drive slow and even when you coasting in gear it has a jerk.any ideas what this could be

im not sure what injection system it has but im pretty sure its MPI and not Digifant

other than that car is absolutely lovely and very comfortable and i want to buy it,i just dont want to take the risk of it being something major to sort out
Howie-WP
VWCSA Member
Posts: 14200
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 2033
Location: Cape Town, SA

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by Howie-WP »

Most likely MP9, they changed mid '96. Car should have solid headrests not the donut type. Could just be the throttle body. On the mileage, if original miles the digital display odo will have "total", if clocked, it will be mileage and no "total"

See here:
http://vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php ... 1&p=875176

About to be clocked:
Image
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

nope definately not mp9,i have a jetta with mp9 and the intake and fuel rail is different.its got an Idle control valve and if im not mistaken mp9 doesnt have that right?
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

Digifant then. Big airbox with a black and silver unit on the airbox itself?
Then that is digifant. 2E is also correct for digi.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
Howie-WP
VWCSA Member
Posts: 14200
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 2033
Location: Cape Town, SA

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by Howie-WP »

panic-mechanic wrote:Digifant then. Big airbox with a black and silver unit on the airbox itself?
Then that is digifant. 2E is also correct for digi.
Then it would be early '96 (before MP9) Does it have donut headrests? (with hole vs solid)
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

yes panic i think it might be digifant.any ideas what could be causing the idling to be so erratic?

@howie-WP its not the donut headrest its the solid one
User avatar
Pynoxim
Lieutenant
Posts: 1611
Registered for: 15 years 1 month
Membership No: missing

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by Pynoxim »

Rectangle indicators on front fenders = Pre 96 = Digifant
Oval indicators on front fenders = 96+ = MP9
Thursday Milkshake Crew
'00 GS2 Lexus GS300
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

They commonly had idle issues. Idle mtotr dirty / not good anymore. Could also be timing or mixture related. Check for vaccum leaks - airflow meter is mechanical and depdnds on vacuum to move right.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

check for vacuum leaks and theres none that i can tell

i had a few minutes at work on friday so i changed coil,temp sensor,cleaned dizzy cap and leads and it made a difference,alot smoother when running and even the idle doesnt fluctuate so much anymore and when it does its just like 100-300rpm but theres still a slight jerk when you press the throttle slightly and it seems to get worse the warmer the car gets so im suspecting plugs as thats the only thing i havent changed ignition wise.i didnt have any on friday but a friend managed to get me bosch ones,are these good?

still gona take the car to my mechanic just been delayed by the rain in durbs for the past few days
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

oh also when i replaced the coil i noticed what looked like a ground wire from the bolt that hold the coil that was attached to the valve cover that seems to have snapped,i managed to recrimp the end and connected it to the valve cover
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

that is just a noise suppresssion thing. Won't change performance.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

ok so got the car back from the mechanic and its alot smoother but theres still an intermittent jerk from time to time but still loads better than when i first got it.

he said its giving errors intermittently for the knock sensor and TPS and recommended i replace those although funds are a bit limited at the moment...

he changed oil,oil filter,air filter,cambelt and tensioner and set timing and its amazing the improvement it made,it used to struggle in second up and incline but now pulls effortlessly

anybody know a ball park figure for the knock sensor and TPS?
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

OE tps for those are like R1800.
Knock sensor - just ask around somebody might give you one for free.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

just a quick question

where the knock sensor should be on the block theres this metal plate almost thats just like a piece of metal with three lugs almost and two wires are connected and it leads to what i know to be the 3 pin knock sensor lug.im preety sure this model is supose to have a actual sensor with the wire running to the connector right?

and if this "plate" is correct shouldnt there be a 3rd wire connected?
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

sounds like the knock sensor disintegrated.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

okay so priced a TPS at around 1k, is this something i would be able to just take off and replace with new part or is there any adjusting that needs to be done?
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

knock sensor was replaced and that error code no longer pops up but still getting the TPS error
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

okay guys so heres whats happened so far....

changed TPS,plugs,leads,dizzy cap and rotor,temp sensor,coil,fuel filter and thats sort of solved the erratic idle,now when cold it idles steady and once gets to normal operating temp the idle will drop to the point where it feels like its gona cut out intermittently for a second before coming back to normal

when driving under little or no throttle input it bucks and jerks as kinda like when you try letting off the clutch without giving throttle.consumption is bad half tank gets me around 150Km(although im in traffic most of the time)

im losing hope in the digifant and im thinking about perhaps mp9 or aftermarket management

another thing is i think maybe the guy that set the timing may have done it incorrectly as ive read up and it seems setting timing on digi is different to most systems,how true is that?

anybody know of a mechanic or workshop i can take the car that is knowledgeable with this model and will be able to sort this out once and for all? in the durban area
User avatar
panic-mechanic
Panic's Place
Posts: 26715
Registered for: 21 years 7 months
Membership No: 79
Location: Benoni, putfontein.

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by panic-mechanic »

sounds like the timing is too slow. mark it where it is now. Then loosen the dissy and move it little by little anti clockwise and see if it gets better.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

Okay I think I may have found the solution and I'm hoping this piece of information can help someone else in the future....

Took out the ECM relay (30) and notice the joints seemed cracked aka a dry joint resoldered it a d put it back in car idles like normal and even drives a whole lot smoother.only thing I noticed is if I rev and let go of accelerator is the revs drop slightly below idle but then pick up again and stabilize, have a feeling this has got something to do with the thermostat being stuck open resulting in a bit of overfueling before engine gets up to temp

I plan on getting another relay anyways just to be on the safe side but it would seem my issue has been fixed , although I'm go a monitor it over the next week or so

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
User avatar
EX-DOHCTOR
Field Marshal
Posts: 13737
Registered for: 19 years 4 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: 2014 Jetta 6 TDi DSG.
Membership No: 712
Location: Bryanston, Johannesburg
Contact:

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by EX-DOHCTOR »

Sounds like you've made some good progress there mate. She'll be sorted soon enough.
2014 - VW Jetta 6 - 1.6 TDi DSG
2000 - VW Golf 3.5 Cabrio - 2.0
1980 - VW MK1 GT - 1.8 Carb - https://www.vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopi ... 1&t=153861
1971 - Mitsubishi Colt 1100F - https://www.vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopi ... 1&t=220503
MK1 Build Register: https://www.vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopi ... 1&t=192835
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectkirschwasser/

Racing is meant for the RACE track - deal with it...
User avatar
freezaburn
Cadet
Posts: 197
Registered for: 12 years 8 months
Car Make: VW, Audi, Toyota,BMW
Car Model: GTi,Citi Sport,Raider,A4, 316i
Membership No: missing
Location: Johannesburg

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by freezaburn »

Yes, get another #30 relay.
Take off your ISV (idle stabilisation valve that sits parallel in front of the throttle body) and clean it out using MAF cleaner.
Let it dry well before putting it back.
Also check for leaks from the vacuum line that goes from the throttle body to a three way splitter (splits off to the back of the manifold another to air box)

All Current Rides:
-2009 Audi A4 (B8) 2.0T FSI Avant (155kw)
-2005 Audi A4 (B7) 2.0T FSI Avant (147kw)
-2005 Toyota Hilux D/C 2.7VVTi (118kw)
-1995 BMW E36 316i
-1994 Golf MK3 GTI 2.0 Exec (85kw)
-1986 Citi Golf Sport 1.6 (63kw)
flash23
Cadet
Posts: 215
Registered for: 8 years 6 months
Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta Cli
Location: durban

Re: golf 3 gti idling issue

Post by flash23 »

so after a week or so driving it i cant believe its the same car,power delivery is smooth,no jerking or bucking idles perfect, consumption is almost half what it used to be.previously a full tank would get me about 200Kms(always in heavy traffic and little to no freeway driving)now ive hit 250km on a half tank

also i had thought the thermostat might have been stuck open because the temp gauge would take forever to get to operating temp and drop whenever i had a free straight but that also seems to be gone now and it reaches temp after 5 mins or so and stays jus slightly below half when on a free straight

its amazing what such a small fix can do
Post Reply